1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sterilization confirmation tester and test pack, and particularly to a sterilization confirmation tester and test pack including an indicator to confirm sterilization employed in sterilization treatment for medical devices, particularly for a medical device and so forth having a lengthy tubular structure.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, medical devices used for the purpose of examination or treatment have been subjected to cleansing and sterilization in order to prevent infection and so forth. In particular, in a case of using a medical endoscope, it is indispensable to sterilize the endoscope in a sure manner after the use thereof.
Examples of recently employed sterilization techniques include high-pressure and high-temperature steam sterilization (which will be referred to as “autoclave sterilization” hereafter), and ethylene oxide gas sterilization (which will be referred to as “EOG sterilization” hereafter), which provide the advantage of enabling medical devices to be used immediately after sterilization without involving troublesome operations, and which are also advantageous in terms of running costs.
In sterilization such as autoclave sterilization, EOG sterilization, or the like, in general, operation is performed to confirm whether or not the sterilization treatment has effected satisfactory sterilization.
Examples of conventional confirmation methods for confirming effective sterilization in sterilization treatment using autoclave sterilization or EOG sterilization include: a method in which a tape-shaped chemical indicator (which will also be referred to as “CI” hereafter) is attached to a medical device (sterilization apparatus); and a method in which a sheet-shaped chemical indicator or biological indicator (which will also be referred to as “BI” hereafter) is introduced among the objects to be sterilized.
Examples of the types of the aforementioned BIs and CIs used in conventional sterilization confirmation methods include: a type formed in a tape shape for installation outside of a medical device; and a sheet-shaped type which can be installed at a portion within a medical device (at a portion having a certain space relatively near the opening). Also, examples of the aforementioned CIs include linear type CIs used for lengthy tubular medical devices. Also, testers (test packs) are conventionally known having a configuration in which such a liner type CI is provided within a predetermined tube beforehand, thereby offering a function of confirming effective sterilization.
As a conventional example of such a type of tester, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-355297 has proposed a sterilization confirmation indicator having a configuration in which a flocculent member which has adsorbed a sterilization confirmation indicator component is inserted into a slender tube, thereby providing a function of confirming effective sterilization of the tube.
Also, various proposals have been conventionally presented with respect to the structure of a sterilization confirmation tester in which a biological indicator and a culture medium are integrally formed, which are disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 10-201466, and so forth, for example.